By JARROD POTTER
IT WILL be hard to surpass last week for Bulls’ midfielder Dakotah Binney.
Eleven-year-old Binney, from Eumemmering, had just tasted defeat as his Noble Park under-12’s team was knocked out of the finals and he was left without much to do in the last week of the junior football season. But that all changed when he received a tap on the shoulder the week of the grand final.
One of the other Noble Park teams were down on numbers and needed someone to fill in for that one magic match – the Under-13 Division 1 grand final – and Binney jumped at the chance.
Strapping on his boots at Narre North Reserve, the wily midfielder played up forward and featured prominently in the Under-13 Division 1 premiership triumph as Noble Park 6.10 (46) defeated Narre Warren 2.5 (17).
“I got called up to play for the 13s – they said they needed one extra to play as they didn’t have anyone on the bench,” Binney said.
“We played Narre and won by 29, it was good to help out and win the match, but it would have been even better if I won it with my own team.”
After an already stellar week, receiving a South East Juniors premiership medallion, Binney added to the trophy case on Tuesday night as he earned the Under-12 Division 3 league best and fairest, taking the equal best-and-fairest prize on 16 votes with Cora Lynn’s Ben Coleman.
“I thought I wasn’t going to come first – I finished sixth last year – so it felt pretty good,” Binney said.
It’s his first taste of league best-and-fairest glory and he’s hungry for more but will have to bide his time playing his beloved basketball until the new season rolls around.
Binney wanted to thank his mum and his family, his coach Andrew and the Noble Park Junior Football Club for being a great place to play.
